West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-08-12
MANUFACTURE OF PER
FUMES.
Chambers Journal.

One essential principal in perfume
culture is that all fancy and 'im-
proved" variety of flowers are dis
carded, and the natural, simple, old
fashioned kinds are exclusively
grown. The roses grown are the
common pink ones the single, wild
violet is preferred to all the larger
artificially developed varieties, and
not double tube rose is to be seen
on any farm. Only the white jas
mine is used, the yellow and less
fragrant variety being either dis
carded our unknown. The jasmine
plants are set in rows about ten
inches apart, and are closely pruned
every year. Roses are grown on the
lower terraces. and are likewise cut
low, and the ground between the
trees heavily manured. After the
roses have been gathered, the stem
is cut to within few inches Of the
ground,so as to conserve for the next
season the entire vigor of the plant.
Duringt the harvest season traders.
or middlemen, go through the coun-
try every day with wagons collecting
flowers from the farms, for which
they pay prices varying according
to the extent of the crop and the de-
mands of the market. Their. fra
grant load is hurried to the nearest
manufacturer and delivered while
the flowers are still fresh and crisp.
1t is necessary that the flowers
should be gathered in the morning
as soon rs possible after the dews
of the preceding night have disap
peared. In many cases laboratories
are erected on the flower farm itself,
and if the farm is Of sufficient size
this adds very much to the profits.
This brings us to the subject of
the manufacture of perfumes, which
includes the making of "ponades"
and oils by the process of absorp-
tion and of essence and essential oils
by distillation. Every complete es
tablishment is equipped with appa-
ratus for all these processes.
Pomades are the commercial We
hicle for absorbing and transporting
the perfumes of the jonquil, tube
rose, jasmine and few other species
of flowers. A square frame or chas
sis Of white wood, about twenty
inches by thirty inches in size, is
set in with a pane of strong plate
glass. On each side of the glass is
spread thin, even layer Of grease,
which has been purified and refined.
Thus prepared, the frames are piled
up in ranks six or seven feet high
to await the season of each special
flower. When the blossoms arrive
the petals are picked from the stem
the pistils and stamins being dis
carded-and laid so as to cover the
grease in each frame. These being
again riled so as TO rest upon their
wooden edges, which fit closely to-
gether, there is formed Il series of
tight chambers, the floors and cell
ings of which are of grease, exposed
to the perfume OF the flower leaves
within.
The grease absorbs the perfume;
the flowers are removed daily and
fresh ones supplied, and the process
goes on from two to four or five
months, accor ling to the desired
strength OF the pomade, which, when
sufficiently charged with perfume is
taken from the glass with wide,
thin spatnla and packed in tin cans
for export BY these methods the
delicate odor of flowers are extracted
anu retained for transport to distant
markets, where heing treated with al
cohol, they yield their perfume to
that stronger vehicle and produce
the floral waters and extracts of
commerce. Coarser pomades are
made by boiling the flowers in the
grease and subjccting the residue to
pressure. The spent pomades are
uset! for toilet. purposes and in the
manufacture of fine soaps.